Before 2010, it was pretty easy to feel like a technological pioneer[1]. If you signed up to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram early and watched them grow, it seemed like you were at the forefront of a revolution in digital communication. The last decade of social media has directly impacted all of our lives – and not just because the vast majority of this mailing list works in content.

So who better to tell us about a decade of social media than a famous boxer and his peers? Sorry – I mean influencers. NBC met Jake Paul, Dolan Dark, Jen Selter and more to explain how the world’s most popular internet platforms have fostered their relatively nascent careers.

Oh, and: Happy New Year everyone. You’re allowed to say this to anyone throughout January as long as it’s the first time you’re speaking to them in 2020.

Ah, the past. The advent of a new decade unsurprising has every publication on the internet still feeling strangely nostalgic.

The Guardian helpfully listed the 10 most important Instagram posts of the last decade. Buzzfeed News pointed out the trust and engagement issues brought about by the digital revolution. Paper considered how beauty YouTube has evolved over the last 10 years.

Of course, this is a time to look to the present and the future too. MIT Technology Review provided a rare examination of influencers at the beginning of their journey – or grinding for years without making a breakthrough. FFWD interviewed TikTok’s MD to discuss what’s next for the viral video sensation. And we finish with 20 marketing predictions from Social Media Today.

READ OF THE WEEK: How social media has changed in the past decade, according to its influencers
[NBC News]

Eggs, fakes and Kim kissing Kanye: 10 Instagram posts that defined the decade
[The Guardian]

Alienated, alone and angry: what the digital revolution really did to us
[Buzzfeed News]

From how-tos to hauls: 10 years of beauty YouTube
[Paper]

Meet the wannabe kidfluencers struggling for stardom
[MIT Technology Review]

TikTok’s managing director talks about the app’s future
[FFWD]

20 predictions for social media marketing in 2020
[Social Media Today]

[1] My parents called every single social network MyFace for convenience